OU missed out by not recruiting Smith

Paul Smith walked off Owen Field in 2005, having nearly directed a Tulsa upset of Oklahoma. And having clearly made a point.

The Sooners missed in not recruiting him.

In retrospect, it's even easier to recognize now, not due to any deficiency at OU, but because of his role in enhancing Tulsa's status on the national scene.

Here's the deal: Smith is the state's best college quarterback, a point punctuated in TU's wild 55-47 win over BYU late Saturday night, when he threw for 454 yards and five touchdowns — both career bests.

And wouldn't he like to remind OU one more time, face-to-face, with the Sooners due in Tulsa for a Friday night pairing of unbeatens.

Oh, projecting some fairy tale upset is pure folly. The Sooners roll into T-Town amid mounting momentum, facing a leaky Golden Hurricane defense and claiming superior talent on TU at almost every position.

Quarterback being an exception. And that gives TU a gunslinger's chance to at least make it exciting.

Smith is better now — worlds better as a savvy senior in the Hurricane offense — than he was as a sophomore, completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown on the 18th-ranked Sooners.

That was Smith's first full game as a starter, and he had the Hurricane in the hunt, down only 17-15 in the closing minutes before the Sooners struck for two late scores.

OU emerged OK from the decision to pass on Smith, claiming a Big 12 championship a year ago; now claiming one of the nation's hot young QBs in freshman Sam Bradford.

But Smith might have taken the Sooners to even greater heights a year ago. And he would have been the starter — hands down — and a veteran leader for this Sooner squad.

As sharp as young Sam Bradford has been for the Sooners, he's not at Smith's level, not yet.

Oklahoma wasn't the only school to miss on Smith, who rewrote state passing records as a prep star with Deer Creek and Owasso, yet didn't project the size-speed-arm measurables — nice assets, yet hardly the true measurement of a winner. As for Smith's skills, they're seriously underrated.

At Oklahoma State, Mike Gundy was more than familiar with Smith, whose father, Ron, tutored Gundy the player at Midwest City High School in the '80s. Still, Gundy passed on Paul. Seen the quarterback mess that bubbles in Stillwater these days?

Back to Norman, Sooner assistant Cale Gundy studied the quarterback position under offensive guru Ron Smith, too, so he should have suspected the young gun's smarts.

Oh well, the big boys' loss, TU's gain.

And the once-downtrodden Hurricane's gain is rich: 19 wins and two bowl berths in Smith's two seasons-plus as a starter.

OU may not hold any regrets concerning Smith; no need with the Sooners positioned for a run at a national title. The across-the-board talent is overflowing, and Bradford's efficiency distributing the ball to all OU's playmakers is amazing.

Smith, who does more with much less, said he harbors nothing personal, either.

"No, I've gotten over that ego stuff,” Smith said Saturday night. "Those kind of teams look at you when you're a senior and think you're too small or don't have a good enough arm or aren't fast enough. You know what, so be it, but it doesn't hurt my feelings any more.

"I came here, I've been a part of some great years. I met my wife. I'm having a lot of fun.”